Falhan’s Love

Mohammad Ismail, Fr. Sales Magastowo
Indonesia
16 minutes
2021

Synopsis

Untung and Nesti love their 6-year-old unconditionally despite his severe autism. Their daily family life is a challenge when both parents are disabled people, yet their love and encouragement is a life-affirming story.

More about Film

Husband and wife, Untung and Nesti, love their 6-year-old child Falhan unconditionally. They are both disabled people; Untung is missing an arm from a working accident and Nesti uses wheelchairs to move around as she was born with cerebral palsy. Around 3 years ago they found out that their child Falhan suffers from autism. The family relies on the government health system for Falhan’s therapy which unfortunately only pays for the service for children up to 6 years old. Now they have to pay for Falhan’s therapy on their own. Reflecting on how they were treated by their own family and driven by their love for their child, Untung and Nesti must work as a team to provide the best that they can give for Falhan with the hope that Falhan will be able to be independent and accepted by the society in the future.

PROGRAMS PARTICIPATED

Indonesia Distanced Stories 2020

Achievement

Special Screening
KAUM Festival, Berlin
2021
Official Selection - Guest Programmes
Minikino Film Week 7
2021
Short Documentary Finalist
Festival Film Dokumenter
2021
Official Selection - Guest Programmes
Aesthetica Short Film Festival
2021
100% Film Chat: Local Flavours on Short Docs
100% Manusia Film Festival
2021

Filmmakers

Mohammad Ismail
Director
Ismail is deaf, works as a documentary filmmaker and an activist for SIGAB Indonesia, an organization that campaigns for disability and inclusivity issues. He is self-taught in filmmaking. Ismail has produced several works, including Curhat Sang Tuna Rungu (2010), Pencari Keadilan (2014), and Falhan’s Love (2021). He was one of the mentors at the Feelings of Reality in the 2019 Documentary Film Festival (FFD). Recently, he has finished another documentary film with his colleagues, Senandung Senyap, which tells the story of two deaf women with different backgrounds.
Fr. Sales Magastowo
Director
Magas started to work in the documentary film industry in 2013, right after graduating from Temple University, Pennsylvania, and interning at Chain Camera Pictures in Los Angeles. He has worked on various independent documentary projects. Magas enjoys working with the camera, looking through the lens, choosing the right angle to tell the story. His film Di Kaliurang (2016) was nominated at the 2016 Indonesian Film Festival (FFI). His other film, On Ashes (2019) was given a special mention at Reeloz!, an Indonesian-Australian film competition and festival.

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